I had a hankering for an E-1 advertised on eBay. I asked the seller how many shutter actuations and he told me 110k. As the estimated average for a pro Olympus camera is reputed to be 150k I declined to bid despite the fact the photographs showed the camera to be in good condition. Bearing in mind I'd be pushing it to do 10k per year by my reckoning it may have been an incorrect decision as I could possibly have had 4 years out of the camera. I've just bought an E-3 with 11.5k actuations. The E-xxx range is reputed to have a shutter life of 50k.

I'm struggling to get close enough in to some subjects and am thinking about getting a used E-620 + used ED70-300, or maybe a used Sigma long zoom - new prices mean I wouldn't be in a position to do anything for quite a while.

Mark,
I have an E-600 which is the cut down version of the E-620 - it doesn't have the illuminated buttons, reduced number of art filters and one other thing I can't remember. It was exclusive to Currys/PCWorld in the UK. The E-600/620 is a great camera and I'd recommend it. I only bought the E-3 because it was attached to the 14-54mm lens I was looking for - that was also the case when I stumbled on the E-1 I spoke of before. It was at too good a price to miss. I've also got the 70-300mm lens which as you'll see from other peoples posts here is a great lens for the money in the right hands. Have a look at Ann1e's gallery she shoots mainly with the 70-300 and gets some stunning results. I also bought a second hand Sigma Achromatic Diopter for the 70-300 to enhance it's macro capabilities. They aren't in production anymore but can be got on eBay for around £10. Make sure you get a 58mm thread though as they also produce a 52mm which obviously wont fit the 70-300mm. Here's a shot taken with the 70-300 and Sigma diopter - the stamen was 3-4mm in length.

As you can see depth of field is a bit of an issue at times with this combination.

Looks like I may be able to go for an E-520 + 14-42 + 40-150 for €400 or so. Seller claims 1260 actuations. Not quite the E-620 I'd ideally like, but it'd let me give my (soon to be ex) wife back her E-410 + 2 kit lenses. I hate being indebted to her. Beggars/choosers, etc...

The E-520 has IS, which is the main reason I want to upgrade. I'm not a professional photographer, but I use the camera in my daily work, and IS would be quite an advantage for me.

So as a stop-gap on my way to an E-620 + 70-300, what do you guys think - E-520 + 14-42 + 40-150 for €400 sound ok? Or might I be happy enough with the E-520 to stop hankering for an E-620?

Current offer on the camera & lenses is €350, so I'd be looking at somewhere that and €400. Warranty good till Oct this year, body & lenses all look like new, includes remote shutter release & 4gb card.

On the same site (Irish), there's an E-510 (60,000 actuations) + 14-42 + 40-150 + 35mm macro + accessories with a current offer of €390, but I kinda feel that's not far enough from the E-410 and not close enough to the E-620 for me to go for it, though it too has IS.

Not really in a rush by necessity, but do want to get my own set-up before I'm potentially left without any camera.

Current offer on the camera & lenses is €350, so I'd be looking at somewhere that and €400. Warranty good till Oct this year, body & lenses all look like new, includes remote shutter release & 4gb card.

On the same site (Irish), there's an E-510 (60,000 actuations) + 14-42 + 40-150 + 35mm macro + accessories with a current offer of €390, but I kinda feel that's not far enough from the E-410 and not close enough to the E-620 for me to go for it, though it too has IS.

Not really in a rush by necessity, but do want to get my own set-up before I'm potentially left without any camera.

Thanks again,

Mark

60,000 actuations seems high - expected life of non-pro Olympus DSLRs is 50,000 so personally I'd ignore this one

Yeah, even with lower actuations, I think I'll just be looking at E-520 or newer/higher level.

David M, can you clarify what you mean? Longer lens than what? The 40-15o or the 70-300? Upgrade from what body to which? Ultimately I need longer reach than I get from the 40-150, so the 70-300 is my only realistic option. I'll get more benefit from that longer reach with a body with IS. The longer lens and IS body will go hand in hand for me.

Yeah, even with lower actuations, I think I'll just be looking at E-520 or newer/higher level.

David M, can you clarify what you mean? Longer lens than what? The 40-15o or the 70-300? Upgrade from what body to which? Ultimately I need longer reach than I get from the 40-150, so the 70-300 is my only realistic option. I'll get more benefit from that longer reach with a body with IS. The longer lens and IS body will go hand in hand for me.

Mark

I never hand hold a long lens which I why I went for an E-410 rather than the E-510.

So I'd look for a deal on the 70-300 before upgrading the body.

__________________
It's the image that's important, not the tools used to make it.

I changed from an E-450 without IS to an E-620 a few months ago to obtain the benefit of IS. To be honest I haven't been all that impressed with IS for the sort of pics I've been taking. True to say it does make a difference for some shots but using the 50-200 and the 70-300 I've found that steadying the camera by resting my hands against a wall or other object, or of course using a tripod or monopod is a far more effective solution to camera blur.

Quite a few posts on here by experienced users ( which I'm definitely not ) even suggest turning off the IS if the camera is steadied by other means. I suppose it depends on your circumstances and what type of use you would be putting the camera to. It may also be the case that my hands are quite unsteady compared to others and the IS can't cope

Whilst my photos have improved quite a lot since having the E-620, Ive put that down to the better quality of the camera and learning curve rather than having IS.

Just as a point of interest, I bought my E-620 body brand new from Kerso for £270 a few months ago. Might be worth contacting him for a price on a 70-300 lens.

This body/lens combo will be used to photograph marine mammals, always hand-held, probably rarely without any steadying support, mostly from land but occasionally from boats. I need to react pretty quick, and possibly shoot off frames in bursts. I've been doing ok so far (E-410 + 40-150, almost always maxed out to 150), but 150mm simply doesn't get me close enough a lot of the time, and an IS body seems a necessity in this situation.

I'm very grateful to take advice/suggestions for alternatives for a low-cost solution. I like Olympus, so an E-620 or E-520 with the 70-300 seems almost obvious for me?